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1968 Soviet nuclear tests 
Summary
The Soviet Union's 1968 nuclear test series[1] was a group of 17 nuclear tests conducted in 1968. These tests [note 1] followed the 1967 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1969 Soviet nuclear tests series.
| 1968 | |
|---|---|
 Nuclear blast animation | |
| Information | |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Test site | Atyrau, Kazakhstan; Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Kashkadarya, Uzbekistan; NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia; Semipalatinsk Test Site |
| Period | 1968 |
| Number of tests | 17 |
| Test type | cratering, underground shaft, tunnel |
| Max. yield | 165 kilotonnes of TNT (690 TJ) |
| Test series chronology | |
| Name [note 2] | Date time (UT) | Local time zone[note 3][2] | Location[note 4] | Elevation + height [note 5] | Delivery, [note 6] Purpose [note 7] |
Device[note 8] | Yield[note 9] | Fallout[note 10] | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 280 | 7 January 1968 03:46:59.9 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 810 49°45′16″N 78°01′51″E / 49.7544°N 78.0309°E | 698 m (2,290 ft) + | tunnel, peaceful research |
7.5 kt | Venting detected | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | ||
| 281 | 24 April 1968 10:35:59.7 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 505 49°50′43″N 78°06′12″E / 49.8452°N 78.1032°E | 587 m (1,926 ft) + | tunnel, weapons development |
6.2 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
| 282 Pamuk | 21 May 1968 03:59:12.0 | SAMT (5 hrs) |
Kashkadarya, Uzbekistan 38°49′58″N 65°05′14″E / 38.83291°N 65.0871°E | – 2,440 m (8,010 ft) | underground shaft, extinguishing oil/gas fires |
47 kt | [1][5][6][7][8][9] | Used to extinguish active well fire. Note the burnt well just north of location. | ||
| 283 | 23 May 1968 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 504 49°49′50″N 78°05′17″E / 49.83067°N 78.0881°E | 617 m (2,024 ft) + | tunnel, weapons development |
1000 kg | [1][4][6][7][9] | |||
| 284 | 11 June 1968 03:05:59.7 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 605 49°47′35″N 78°08′42″E / 49.793°N 78.1451°E | 660 m (2,170 ft) + | tunnel, weapons development |
15 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
| 285 | 19 June 1968 05:05:59.8 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1053 49°58′52″N 78°59′05″E / 49.9812°N 78.98461°E | 330 m (1,080 ft) + | underground shaft, fundamental science |
18 kt | [1][4][5][6][7] | |||
| 286 Galit A2 (Halite) | 1 July 1968 04:02:00.5 | SHET (5 hrs) |
Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-II 47°54′32″N 47°54′43″E / 47.909°N 47.912°E | – 590 m (1,940 ft) | underground shaft, cavity excavation |
27 kt | [1][5][6][7][9] | |||
| 287 - 1 | 12 July 1968 12:08:00.0 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 608 49°45′17″N 78°05′24″E / 49.7547°N 78.0899°E | 642 m (2,106 ft) – 172 m (564 ft) | tunnel, weapons development |
24 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
| 287 - 2 | 12 July 1968 12:08:00.0 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 608 49°45′17″N 78°05′24″E / 49.7547°N 78.0899°E | 642 m (2,106 ft) + | tunnel, weapons development |
unknown yield | [1][3][4][6][7][9] | |||
| 288 - 1 | 20 August 1968 04:05:59.6 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: A-7 49°49′21″N 78°04′39″E / 49.8226°N 78.0774°E | 705 m (2,313 ft) + | tunnel, weapons development |
4.6 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
| 288 - 2 | 20 August 1968 04:05:59.6 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: A-7 49°49′21″N 78°04′39″E / 49.8226°N 78.0774°E | 705 m (2,313 ft) + | tunnel, safety experiment |
1000 kg | [1][3][4][6][7][9] | |||
| 289 | 5 September 1968 04:05:59.6 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 509 49°44′30″N 78°04′32″E / 49.7416°N 78.0756°E | 651 m (2,136 ft) + | tunnel, weapon effect |
32 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
| 290 | 29 September 1968 03:43:00.0 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: E-2 49°48′43″N 78°07′19″E / 49.812°N 78.1219°E | 675 m (2,215 ft) + | tunnel, weapon effect |
60 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
| 291 Tel'kem 1 | 21 October 1968 03:52:00.0 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Semipalatinsk Test Site: 2308 49°43′42″N 78°29′08″E / 49.72839°N 78.48542°E | – 31 m (102 ft) | cratering, earth moving |
240 t | [1][4][6][7][9] | Prototype canal cratering. | ||
| 292 | 29 October 1968 03:54:00.0 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 504p 49°49′46″N 78°05′26″E / 49.82957°N 78.0906°E | 617 m (2,024 ft) + | tunnel, weapons development |
unknown yield | [1][4][6][7][9] | |||
| 293 - 1 | 7 November 1968 10:02:05.49 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-3 73°23′13″N 54°51′29″E / 73.387°N 54.858°E | 100 m (330 ft) – 1,000 m (3,300 ft) | tunnel, weapons development |
1000 kg | Venting detected on site, 10 kCi (370 TBq) | [1][5][6][7][10] | ||
| 293 - 2 | 7 November 1968 10:02:05.5 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-3 73°23′13″N 54°51′29″E / 73.387°N 54.858°E | 100 m (330 ft) + | tunnel, weapons development |
165 kt | [1][6][7][9][11] | |||
| 293 - 3 | 7 November 1968 10:02:05.5 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-3 73°23′13″N 54°51′29″E / 73.387°N 54.858°E | 100 m (330 ft) + | tunnel, weapons development |
165 kt | [1][6][7][9][11] | |||
| 294 | 9 November 1968 02:54:00.1 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 606 49°48′02″N 78°08′21″E / 49.8005°N 78.1391°E | 724 m (2,375 ft) + | tunnel, peaceful research |
4 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
| 295 Tel'kem 2 - 1 | 12 November 1968 07:30:00.0 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Semipalatinsk Test Site: 2305 49°42′48″N 78°27′37″E / 49.71322°N 78.46018°E | – 31 m (102 ft) | cratering, earth moving |
240 t | [1][4][6][7][9] | Prototype canal linear cratering. | ||
| 295 Tel'kem 2 - 2 | 12 November 1968 07:30:00 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Semipalatinsk Test Site: 2306 49°42′47″N 78°27′38″E / 49.71299°N 78.46051°E | + | cratering, earth moving |
240 t | [1][6][7][9][11] | Prototype canal linear cratering. | ||
| 295 Tel'kem 2 - 3 | 12 November 1968 07:30:00 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Semipalatinsk Test Site: 2307 49°42′46″N 78°27′39″E / 49.71273°N 78.4609°E | + | cratering, earth moving |
240 t | [1][6][7][9][11] | Prototype canal linear cratering. | ||
| 296 | 18 December 1968 05:01:59.7 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 508 49°44′45″N 78°05′31″E / 49.7459°N 78.092°E | 670 m (2,200 ft) – 194 m (636 ft) | tunnel, peaceful research |
8.9 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] |
- ^ A bomb test may be a salvo test, defined as two or more explosions "where a period of time between successive individual explosions does not exceed 5 seconds and where the burial points of all explosive devices can be connected by segments of straight lines, each of them connecting two burial points and does not exceed 40 kilometers in length". Mikhailov, V. N. "Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing". Begell-Atom, LLC. Archived from the original on 2014-04-26. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
- ^ The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China did not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions – Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 – 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known.
- ^ To convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it is 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day. Historical time zone data obtained from the IANA time zone database.
- ^ Rough place name and a latitude/longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area.
- ^ Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together.
- ^ Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use.
- ^ Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.
- ^ Designations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed.
- ^ Estimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie).
- ^ Radioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released.
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Yang, Xiaoping; North, Robert; Romney, Carl (August 2000). CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3) (Technical report). SMDC Monitoring Research.
- ^ "Time Zone Historical Database". iana.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Thurber, Clifford; Trabant, Chad; Hartog, Renate. Assessing Event Location Capability with Ground Truth Events at the Degelen Mountain Test Site, Kazakhstan (DSWA01-98-10008). Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Arms Control Technology Division, Nuclear Treaties Branch. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Khalturin, Vitaly I.; Rautian, Tatyana G.; Richards, Paul G. (2000). "Chemical explosions during 1961-1989 on the Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan" (PDF). Pure and Applied Geophysics. 158: 143–171. doi:10.1007/pl00001153. S2CID 128953780. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Cochran, Thomas B.; Arkin, William M.; Norris, Robert S.; Sands, Jeffrey I. Nuclear Weapons Databook Vol. IV: Soviet Nuclear Weapons. New York, NY: Harper and Row.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Podvig, Pavel, ed. (2001). Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 9780262661812. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w USSR Nuclear Weapons Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions 1949 through 1990. Sarov, Russia: RFNC-VNIIEF. 1996. The official Russian list of Soviet tests.
- ^ Nordyke, M.D. The Soviet Program for Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Explosions (PDF) (UCRL-ID-12441O Rev 2). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Nuclear explosions in the USSR: The North Test Site reference material, version 4 (PDF) (Technical report). IAEA Dept. of Nuclear Safety and Security. December 1, 2004. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ Kim, Won-Young; Richards, Paul G.; Andrushkin, Vitaly; Ovtchinnikov, Vladimir (April 1, 2001). Borovoye digital seismogram archive for underground nuclear tests during 1966-1996 (PDF) (Technical report). LDEO. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Andrushkin, Vitaly V.; Leith, William (September 1, 2001). The containment of Soviet underground nuclear explosions (PDF) (Open File Report 01-312). USGS. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.